Ofcom Proposes Direct Smartphone-Satellite Connections

Smartphone users in the UK could soon be able to connect wirelessly to satellites under a proposal being considered by that nation's regulator.

The UK is poised to have the first European telecommunications system that enables standard smartphones to send and receive signals from space. The system, known as "direct-to-device" technology, connects smartphones wirelessly to satellites. A similar permission was recently authorised in the US by the Federal Co—mmunications Commission.

The UK regulator, Ofcom, is proposing to allocate radio frequencies for use in the UK, especially for rural and other currently underserved communication network areas and is inviting comments from the public until 20th of May. Ofcom believes that this could both facilitate sending texts and internet connections during outages, and that access would be allowed to the mobile airwaves for two-way communications between smartphones and satellite operators' networks. If approved, service could begin to roll out later this year.

There has already been a promising field test of the technology in January, under a trial licence issued to Vodafone, who, using a standard smartphone, completed the first satellite video call from a remote part of Wales currently without standard mobile network coverage.